What a way to
by Atheniandream
Summary: This wasn't how they were supposed to...


Title: What a way to know Author: Athena Fiction Notes: Season eight, anywhere after Threads and before the next episode. SPOILERS up to Threads. Angst, Humour, S/J,  
RATING: PG

--You know the Disclaimer. I don't own anything. I owe even less.--

Summary: This wasn't how they were supposed to tell one another.  
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What a way to know.  
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This wasn't such a new scenario.

"Damn it."

They'd done this before, been tied up in a cell, just the two of them, back to back, played along with the little Tok'ra's game until it wore them in the ears, And then usually, having kicked up, they'd leave for home, having had a thoroughly wasted mission.

"Carter?"

Only, it wasn't the Tok'ra this time...

"My damn arms are going numb." Carter grumbled.

It was the damn Goa'uld. And being that they were now a Colonel and General, one of whom hadn't stepped out on the field in a good long while... so the edging of the situation was vastly moving to chaotic.

"Wriggle them a bit."

Sam did as told, starting slowly at her shoulders, trying not to feel that sensations as her arms moved past his, the coolness of his khaki military jacket roughing up the hair on her arms like static...she blinked and continued. On to her elbows and forearms, gradually working until the tingling started in her fingers. Damn.

"Better?"

"Pins and Needles."

Behind her, he wasn't having such a great time, either. Old bones on cold floor weren't 'Party Palooza' material, and now...his ass was cold. His ass was always usually cold, but today of all days, especially butt-frozen.

"Where the hell are Danny and T? They're losing their touch." He growled, and then attempted to rest his head on the top of his chest, sinking it into his neckline to avoid the hard pole in between them.

Heck, there was always some inanimate stuffed in between them....bars, walls, force shields.......glass....., never nice stuff.. like warm sheets, or cake bras.....

"They're trying their best, Sir. We're just gonna have to wait. Patiently."

He replied with a huff, puffing out air into his lips, forcing it out into a pop and closed his eyes. Man, this is getting as old as I am

"On the plus side Sir, we haven't been tortured yet. That goes to show that what ever Ba'al wants with us for he's not really here to...." She paused, frowning.

The moment she opened her mouth, a pang of guilt grew, stopping the end of her sentence.

"Torture? Given that old talent up, has he? Probably still gloating from the last time he made me O'Neill-kebab."

"...Possibly we're trade...for..."

That agitated him. Yet another thing about the Goa'uld that he despised. The little suckers loved to trade...hell, they should run the stock market...get million and stopped bugging the rest of the universe...

"We're not Cattle, Carter!"

"Are you sure about that Sir? If you think about it, to the Goa'uld we're already coats."

"Or Cloaks." Why did I say that?

"What? What I was saying was, why not use us to trade...we trade coats. I suppose in their society, they trade. And we are sg-1. Have you noticed how many times they've traded people for... well, people? We've never really delved much into Goa'uld philosophy."

"Being that they're bitchy, violent monsters, no, Carter, we haven't. There are more pressing things like...irradiating them."

"I'm just saying. We really should study their culture. Maybe it would give us more insight in how to overcome them."

"I don't wanna study their culture Carter! You want to, then go right ahead, I'll pick up your pieces on the way..."

"I didn't mean it like that...Sir. There's Daniel for that..."

"Anyway, wasn't the point about the Goa'uld that they stole from other cultures because they didn't have one of their own."

"Well, not entirely true, Sir. I'm starting to think that they have a culture... in a way. But they are parasitical snakes, and they live in water, so... maybe not. I suppose the way to get people to worship you would be to steal your religion first. Makes sense."

"If it helps you sleep at night, Carter." He was starting to think that the talking would have pushed him into sleeping...hopefully.

She huffed in response and went back to her earlier actions of moving her hands, but now included her arms in the mix.

"Bored!"

She heard the screeched reply fly out of him slowly, like he'd been pumped of air.

"Well, There's not much to amuse us in his, is there Sir."

"Nope."

That didn't improve the broken silence much.

Both eye lines drifted to the orange walls, the gold lining, then to themselves, and then to floor.

Yep he thought. It's getting very old

And for the first time, Carter was actually losing her patience, her thread, if you will.

"Carter?"

"Yes, General?"

"What'cha thinking about."

"Not much."

The truth was that the thing she was thinking about was... well, a little more than not much. Kind of in the same vein as... oh, I don't know...Him.

"Say something then...."

"Uh...How's Kerry?"

That threw him for a loop immediately. Thanking the goa'uld that she wasn't able to see his face, he tried to imagine what was on hers.

"She's uh, she's good."

"Good. Are you and her, is it going okay?"

Everything fell Silent for moment, and it worried her, not hearing his voice. It always worried her when he wasn't talking. Being a very vocal person, he always had a reply 97 percent of the time, and the other three percent were when you should start worrying.

"Sir?"

They hadn't spoken for a good while since she'd appeared at his house, heart on sleeve and no brain cells left, and she could bet on her life (wrong for the moment) that would avoid talking about it at all costs.

"We broke up, Carter."

She wasn't ready for that.

Since Kerry, their friendship had moved a lot nearer to the 'faded out'. Neither knew how to speak to eachother, even after Jack found out about the engagement. Too many old wounds would be reopened as a result of bad timing and over analysing their relationship. Don't dwell on century old wounds.

"Oh." The reply slipped without it even meaning to.

"Oh?"

"I'm sorry to hear that Sir." Her reply was quiet, subdued; half in her head and half floating around in the space they sat in.

"Hmm..." he wasn't nearly as convinced.

"I am!" She tried a more redeeming tone. She was sorry. Very sorry that it hadn't worked out, for them both. Despite the fact that she was still a little emotionally bruised at being faced with a brick wall that day.

She really was sorry.

"I believe ya." Jack on the other hand...was tired.

Of himself, her, them, the other two. The Goa'uld, The Tok'ra, Daniel...all of it. Very. Tiresome. Especially Daniel.

"Was it...because... of me?" Her hands stopped wiggling now.

He replied for a change. Let's face it: We're gonna die. Again. Might as well get it over and done with.

He pierced his lips, muttering a quiet "Yea."

And then it felt awkward.

"So, how's the engagement going?"

A slightly stupid topic to choose to fall on, he fell on it anyway, because, it would make her happy. He could make her happy...

"I broke it off. Sir."

"What?"

"The engagement. I broke it off."

"Oh." Then he got the drift "oh. "

"Yea."

"Why?"

Why did she break it off? Because the man she went home to wasn't the one she loved? No. She loved him. And enjoyed his good nature towards her. But she wasn't in love with him. There's a big difference.

"I loved him...but...I was hiding behind his love for me."

"Why?" It suddenly picked up, his interest in their discussion.

"Because I was afraid."

"Of?"

"You."

So, four years of denial hadn't paid off. And, unusually, his humour wasn't there to back him up.

He felt no need to prod anymore. The words she'd told him were enough, he'd deal with that...even if the reason that she'd left Mister 'Cop-man' was him. He'd deal with that, no more or less than usual.

"So...I guess that means we're both alone again."

"Not so much."

Through her words, he swore that he heard...hope? Promise? That one-day, not far from now they could slink off together and just...fish. He felt a finger brush past his. No, strike that. Two fingers. And smiled beside his earlier aggravation.

"Carter?"

"Yes Sir?"

"I will always, be there for you, no Matter what. Believe me."

"I know that." And then because he had, she would too, give a little. "And Jack?"

"Hmm?"

"If you ever...want to ask me to fish... I would say yes."

"Swear on it."

"Sure. My life's on the line at moment anyway." O'Neill-laden humour bled from her answering.

"Don't speak so-"

With perfect timing, a familiar voice rumbled from Both Sam and Jack's radio. As they were still tied, they couldn't reply. Just listen.

"Colonel Carter, O'Neill, Daniel Jackson and I are aboard the ship."

"...Soon. See Carter?"

"Yes Sir."

She saw all right. Even if she were blind... she would see,

Him, stretching for miles and miles...

Feed would be the cherry.... ;)

Athena 


End file.
